A Rainbow Above Us

Sharon Sala

Jun 2019 · Blessings, Georgia Book 8 · Sourcebooks, Inc.

About this ebook

"Sharon Sala is a consummate storyteller. If you can stop reading, then you're a better woman than me."—DEBBIE MACOMBER, #1 New York Times Bestselling Author

Welcome back to USA Today bestselling author Sharon Sala's world of Blessings, Georgia—a tight-knit small town where the secrets of southern girls sometimes have surprising consequences, you never forget your first love, and the magnolia-scented breeze always feels like home.

Hurricane Fanny left no one in Blessings, Georgia, unscathed—including Rowan Harper. Rebuilding her life after so much loss seems impossible. Now that she's all alone, how can she ever hope to find the strength to carry on?

Bowie James has come back to help repair his grandmother's house, but he doesn't intend to stay long. He and his mother were forced out of Blessings a decade ago, and he's never forgotten the small-minded people responsible for bringing him so much pain.

But Rowan isn't like anyone else. She's kindhearted, beautiful, and so lost he can't bring himself to stay away. When he reaches out in kindness, an unlikely friendship blooms, and soon Bowie discovers that he can entrust Rowan with his deepest secrets—and, if they can find it in themselves to trust again...his heart.

Sit down and stay a spell: In Blessings, Georgia, you're guaranteed a small town where good people triumph and the rotten apples get what's coming to them, a sweet and clean love story that'll warm your heart, and a new home that's always there when you need it.

Ratings and reviews

A solid community, plenty of heart and clear issues that readers can find easy to empathize with, the characters in these stories bring some ‘repeated’ moments with community members and former ‘stars’ of earlier books while maintaining the simple premise that the new couple will find healing and acceptance in this little town. And so it happens with returning resident Bowie, chased out of town after he started to resemble his father’s family, and his mother’s claims of his paternity as a result of an attack by his father were starting to cause whispers. But the hurricane brought the wandering Bowie back to town to help his grandmother and aunt rebuild the old house he grew up in after the hurricane. But their time while waiting for Bowie brought another Blessings resident into their mix: Rowan Harper survived flood waters and some pretty gruesome events, including the death of her father, and was brought into Blessings with nothing to her name. Bowie’s Aunt and Grandmother have almost “adopted” Rowan, giving her some sense of family and security that all three women were missing after the hurricane. And while Rowan isn’t someone Bowie knew, he sees that Rowan is both beautiful and kind, and his family is attached, so he includes her in the plans for the rebuild – she’s available to help his family, as they are helping her. What emerges here is an instant attraction that keeps Bowie on his toes, and as Rowan starts to understand that her father had isolated her for his own selfish reasons, and that Bowie and his family are people who will help her to see the truth, and move forward. While Bowie deals with the house rebuild, caring for his family and coming to rely on Rowan’s presence, in fact, craving it, the two show just how well matched they are. Bowie isn’t inclined to trust anyone, and with his father’s family causing all sorts of issues, his plate is full. Yet Rowan calms him, and keeps him steady with her mix of naivete and confidence, and her penchant for kindness. Sweet, engaging and a lovely read, this is a clean romance with plenty of sparkle and shine, all built around healing, love, and family. I received an eArc copy of the title from the publisher via NetGalley for purpose of honest review. I was not compensated for this review: all conclusions are my own responsibility.

After Hurricane Fanny hit Blessings, Georgia, Rowan Harper is the only surviving member of her family and rebuilding her life seems impossible. A decade ago, Bowie James and his mother were forced out of town, but now his grandmother needs him to help rebuild her home. This heartwarming romance starts off with some excitement of the ‘Hatfield and McCoy’ kind and just gets better from there. The hero and heroine is strong, compelling characters that easily win over the hearts of readers as the sparks sizzle and pop with lots of chemistry. The relationship is sweet with a steady build of heat and romance throughout the story and invokes a whole range of emotions for readers to experience. The plot is a steady paced romance with some thrilling excitement when some of Bowie’s estranged family cause’s friction and trouble throughout the story, but for the most part, this story focuses on two people who fall for each other by helping out others and trying to rebuild lives in the aftermath of a deadly hurricane. The way the author includes all the inhabitants of this small town makes the story seem more realistic and captivates readers’ hearts as they feel as if they really know the characters. This romance is truly an inspirational and delightful read that warms the heart and puts smiles on the faces of readers.

I have only read one other book in this series, and like before, it reminds me of a 1950s movie, with the chatting dialogue and the southern flavor. The story center mainly around Bowie James and on a lesser degree, Rowan Harper. Bowie left years ago in the middle of the night with his mother, after he was beaten and his life was threatened. He is back only because his grandmother and aunt asked him for help. Their home was destroyed during Hurricane Fanny and are now living in a nursing home. Here they have taken Rowan , a young woman who lost her father and all her possessions in the hurricane, into their circle. He rescues them and takes them to his luxurious trailer. Bowie’s return brings back the evil people that chased him away, but he is now a grown, honorable man able to defend himself. Suffice is to say, that the story is at times heartbreaking. We meet the very dysfunctional Boone family, where the men are evil, and bullies . But karma has a way of showing up when you least expect it and their days of glory are numbered. It’s a story of survival, overcoming the odds , redemption and in the end finding inner peace and love. Though at times I found the dialogue too wordy and would have cut out 1/10 of it, as well as a little different from other books by this author, it still was entertaining. I was entrusted a copy of this book by Netgalley. The opinions expressed are solely my own.

About the author

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Sharon Sala has 135+ books in print, published in six different genres—romance, young adult, Western, general fiction, women’s fiction and non-fiction. First published in 1991, her industry awards include the Janet Dailey Award, five-time Career Achievement winner, five-time winner of the National Readers’ Choice Award, five-time winner of the Colorado Romance Writers’ Award of Excellence, the Heart of Excellence award, the Booksellers Best Award, the Nora Roberts Lifetime Achievement Award, and the Centennial Award in recognition of her 100th published novel. She lives in Oklahoma, the state where she was born. Visit her at www.sharonsalaauthor.com and www.facebook.com/sharonsala.